Wendy Wilton heads up U.S. FSA Vermont

U.S. FSA Vermont Director Wendy Wilton: “I have to pay attention to the Hatch Act (of 1939), so I can’t be politically involved.”

RUTLAND | Considering her academic achievements and background in finance, chemistry and agriculture, Wendy Wilton’s experience in state and local politics has helped prepare her for the less overtly political role of U.S. Farm Service Agency (FSA) head, despite being appointed by President Donald Trump.

Wilton’s tenure as state senator left a mark in Montpelier, where she served on the education, judiciary and agriculture standing committees.

When Wilton received official word last month from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue that she was appointed director of the FSA in Vermont, she was bowled over.

“I was thrilled and so honored with the appointment by the President,” Wilton said. “I had expressed an interest in working in agriculture in the administration and I learned that the agency thought that, with my credentials in both agriculture and finances, I’d make a good fit.”

“But just let me say that there’s nothing political about this position other than my appointment,” she added.

As Vermont’s new FSA state director, Wilton is helping implement U.S. Department of Agriculture policies in planning, organizing and administering FSA programs within Vermont. She also is responsible for running the day-to-day activities of the state FSA office in Williston.

“The FSA has many programs under its roof that help our farmers,” she said. “It’s also kind of like a SBA (Small Business Administration) for farmers making loan guarantees for farms.

“It’s kind of like this: A business owner can go to a bank to get a loan, but the bank goes out to get the SBA guarantee to cover any default of the loan so that it can make the loan in the first place.”

In addition to helping farmers with loans, the agency also provides funding for environmental sustainability, including things such as phosphorus runoff in lakes and streams. She’s also there to help with all sorts of technical assistance, valuable disaster relief and farm subsidies.

The FSA in Vermont is comprised of nine regions across the state, each with its own council of people from the agriculture industry. The structure gives farmers a voice regarding the issues taking place in their local areas.

Wilton’s job isn’t strictly deskbound. While she works primarily in the FSA office in Williston, she also is finding herself on the road, in addition to commuting from Rutland for the interim.

“My role is a lot like my Rutland City treasurer role,” she noted. “I am making sure all the pots on the stove are cooking right along. And since I am the agency’s overall manager, I am also the face and voice of the agency. That’s why I will be very busy out in the field meeting with our nine district offices as well as helping where I can.”

Unlike other government agencies, the FSA brings together farmers and others from across the industry. This gives a uniquely human side to the work, according to Wilton.

“Agencies like ours, where the majority workers here in the agency are either farmers themselves or come from a farming background, (the people) are tied very closely to agriculture and their hearts and souls are really in it,” she said. “That’s gratifying to me and that’s what makes what we do unique.”

“With this position I have to pay attention to the Hatch Act (of 1939), so I can’t be politically involved. But that’s ok. There are other people who can take on the GOP mantle in Vermont,” she said.

The Hatch Act prohibits employees of the executive branch — except the president, vice president and a few other officials — from engaging in certain types of political activity.

According to USDA Secretary Perdue, FSA is tasked with farm conservation and regulation laws.

“State directors help ensure that USDA is offering the best customer service to our farmers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural producers across the country,” Perdue said when he announced Trump’s appointment of Wilton to head the agency’s Vermont office.